JEschna. 195 



usually a very difficult matter, and often, after 

 watching their evolutions for an hour or more, not 

 one may be taken. The best chance, perhaps, is to 

 stand like a statue beside a bush or clump of reeds 

 near their line of flight in the hope of one being 

 thrown off its guard and approaching near enough 

 to be struck at. On one occasion, if not more, 

 late in the season this species had a propensity for 

 settling in the sun on the trunks of the firs which 

 fringe the margin of the pond on Esher Common, and 

 then was very difficult to see. While so settled it was 

 very restless and could scarcely be approached from 

 the front without being startled from its perch, though 

 this was not the case if an attempt to reach it was 

 made from behind the tree. Mr. J. Arkle has seen this 

 insect on the wing at 7.0 p.m."^ 



Distribution. 



This Dragonfly seems to be well distributed throughout 

 the British Isles, and is certainly not confined to the 

 north as was at one time thought. Perhaps it will be 

 found to have a preference for fir-woods. Localities are : 

 hn'crness-shirc : Strathglass, Insh, and Loch-an-Eilan 

 (J. J. F. X. King) ; Aviemore (K. J. Morton). Argj'll- 

 sliirc : Dalmally (J. J. F X. King). Perthshire : 

 Breadalbane district (K. J. Morton) ; Rannoch (G. T. 

 Porritt). Lanarkshire : Carluke district (K. J. Morton). 

 Westmoreland : Langdale (J. J. F. X. King). Lancashire : 

 North (J. Arkle). Yorkshire : Sandburn (G. T. Porritt). 

 Cheshire : Delamere Forest (J. Arkle). Ceernarvonshire : 



* Entom., 1897, p. 70. 



O 2 



